Carcassonne Farmer Scoring

Edited September 12, 2003, to take into account information from Usenet thread
about the second edition rules.

There have been three versions of the farmer scoring in the game Carcassonne.
I've collected the different versions based on postings off Usenet.

Note that second and third edition scoring are the same except that
in the second edition, a city scores at most once per player, but in
the third edition, a city could score multiple times per player.

A field is a piece of grassland enclosed by
road, city, river or non-existing tiles.

First Edition Scoring

If a farmer can walk along the field to a city, he is connected to
it. It can be fifty tiles away, or on the same tile. As long as
unbroken path goes to the city then he gets counted.

For each completed city, the player with the most farmers touching it gets
four points. Tied players all get four points, each.

Note that two-tile cities are two points for a knight when completed.

Second Edition Scoring

Count the number of farmers in that field. The player with the most pawns
inside the field will score for that field. If many players tie for
majority of pawns, they all receive the full points.

A field will score 3 points for each completed city adjacent to the field. A
city is adjacent to the field when part of the city walls are used to define
the boundary of the field (i.e., next to the field).

A player can score for a single city one
time, and only one time... no matter how many fields and farmers he has
next to it.

Note that two-tile cities are two points for a knight when completed.

Third Edition Scoring

Count the number of farmers in that field. The player with the most pawns
inside the field will score for that field. If many players tie for
majority of pawns, they all receive the full points.

A field will score 3 points for each completed city adjacent to the field. A
city is adjacent to the field when part of the city walls are used to define
the boundary of the field (i.e., next to the field).

Each field is scored for itself. Therefore, a city may score more than once
for a player.

Note that two-tile cities are four points for a knight when completed.

Rio Grande Games Ruling

Jay Tummelson at Rio Grande Games sticks with the first edition scoring only.
Here's his reasoning:

When I first learned of the changes proposed by Hans im Glück, I tested them
and found I (and my test groups) preferred the original. Therefore, I asked
Hans im Glück if I could keep mine and was told they were happy with both, but
were changing theirs as they felt the new rules were easier to understand.
Since most of my customers are unaware of German rule changes, I felt it was
best to keep the original as having two versions only adds confusion (as seem
by those of you who ARE aware of the German rules).
My policy is to not make changes (I WILL make corrections when mistakes were
made in the original rules) when I simply reprint games.
Jay
Rio Grande Games

Where to Buy

Carcassonne

Carcassonne: Inns & Cathedrals

The Carcassonne: Inns & Cathedrals expansion offers all fans of Carcassonne new challenges:

The Cathedral triples the value of a city, and the Inn doubles the value of a road--but only when they are completed. Players may use the new large follower to double their chances of controlling a city, road, or field.

Also included is all the necessary material to allow a sixth player to join in the fun.

Finally, there are 6 point tiles to make scoring easier when players score more than 50 points.

Carcassonne: Traders & Builders

Carcassonne: Traders & Builders,
the second expansion to Carcassonne, adds 24 new landscape tiles that not only offer new terrain such as bridges and bent cities, some tiles also contain goods symbols. Players use these to acquire wine, cloth and grain. The best traders can get additional profits at the end of the game.

Builder tokens are also new to the game -- when placed in a city, a second tile may be played when expanding the city or roads leading from it.

Pig markers are also new -- these can be placed with a farmer to enrich the value of a farm.

Also included is a cloth bag for the tiles, making it easier to shuffle and draw them during the game, as well as making the game more portable. The expansion has components for 6 players and is completely compatible with the first expansion. Thus, players may play with the original Carcassonne, with Carcassonne and the 1st expansion, with Carcassonne and the 2nd expansion, or with Carcassonne and both expansions!

The Count of Carcassonne

This small expansion adds the 12 tiles that represent the actual city of Carcassonne and are the starting tiles for the game. During the game, players who help others score points may place followers in the city and later move them to scoring features outside the city. Yet another new way to play this great game!

Carcassonne: The Princess and the Dragon

In this expansion for the prize-winning Carcassonne, we move into the realm of fantasy. The land around Carcassonne is being visited by a dragon, making life very difficult for the followers. Brave heroes venture forth to face the danger, but without the aid of the fairies, their chances are not good. In the city, the princess seeks help from the knights, and farmers build secret passages to move about undetected by the dragon. We hope you enjoy this special trip into the land of Carcassonne!

Carcassonne: The River II

There is another river in the Carcassonne region. Like the first river, you can use these 12 tiles to start a Carcassonne game instead of the normal start tile. But, there is more. It can be used with the other river, to make an even longer river to start the game. It has a branch, so you get the effect of two rivers instead of one. Its tiles have some of the features of the larger expansions: Inns & Cathedrals, Traders & Builders, and Princess & Dragon. As always, you need the original Carcassonne to play with it, but you can use bits from the other expansions, too, if you like.

Carcassonne: The Tower

Ever upward in Carcassonne!
In this Carcassonne expansion, players have the opportunity to build upwards! The lords of the region around Carcassonne erect towers to strengthen and promote their power and influence. They employ followers to stand guard on the towers, watching over the land so they can inform their lords of all who travel and move throughout the area.
Players may capture opponents followers, holding them in prison. Later, the players may arrange a prisoner exchange, to the advantage of the players involved. Also, a player may arrange to pay ransom for the return of an imprisoned follower.
Fans of Carcassonne will enjoy the new tactical opportunities offered by this expansion. The expansion also includes a special tower for storing the landscape tiles, giving players a convenient way to draw tiles during the game.

Carcassonne: The Discovery

This is a FunAgain exclusive standalone game in the Carcassonne series.
The major difference for this game is that regions are not automatically scored when completed. Instead, you can choose to score any one of your meeples on your turn, but get more points if the region has been completed.